education.vic.gov.au

Policy last updated

15 June 2020

Scope

  • Schools

Date:
March 2020

Overview

Overview

As part of the department’s duty of care principals or managers need to ensure they act sensitively towards employees whose circumstances require them to be absent from the school or workplace as a result of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event. Employees are affected in many ways either directly or indirectly, including through the loss of family or friends or through the loss or damage to their homes and property.

Leave with pay is available where an employee is prevented from attending their school or workplace because of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event as set out in the Policy and Guidelines.

Relevant legislation

Contact information


Policy and Guidelines

Pre-emptive closure — Catastrophic

Schools and children's services (including kindergartens and child care centres) determined by the department to be at high risk of fire danger have been placed on the department’s Bushfire At-Risk RegisterExternal Link . Schools and children’s services that have been identified as being at high fire risk will be closed on a day declared Catastrophic.

An employee whose school or workplace is closed due to high risk of fire will be granted leave with pay for that day unless the regional director determines it is appropriate for that employee to attend an alternate workplace on that day.

Where the school or workplace is open, employees are expected to report for duty at their usual place of work in the normal manner. However, where an employee is unable to attend for duty for reasons including:

  • road closures on a day declared Catastrophic that may prevent an employee from attending for duty at their usual workplace
  • enactment of an employee’s bushfire survival plan which may include evacuation of the employee’s family
  • providing care for their child(ren) whose school, other children’s service or school bus route is closed and for whom no alternative care arrangements could be made

the employee may be granted leave with pay where the principal (for school-based employees) or regional director (for principals and employees in non-school locations) is satisfied that the absence was necessary and unavoidable on that day.

Bushfire, flood or other severe weather event

An employee whose school or workplace is closed due to bushfire, flood or other severe weather event will be granted leave with pay for up to 5 days unless the regional director determines it is appropriate for that employee to attend an alternate workplace.

Where the school or workplace is open, employees are expected to report for duty at their usual place of work in the normal manner. However, where an employee is unable to attend for duty for reasons including:

  • protection of their property
  • road closures
  • providing care for their child(ren) whose school, other children’s service or school bus route is closed and for whom no alternative care arrangements could be made
  • evacuation of their family as a result of the bushfire, flood or other severe weather event

the employee may be granted leave with pay where the principal (for school-based employees) or regional director (for principals and employees in non-school locations) is satisfied that the absence was necessary and unavoidable on that day.

General

An employee who is prevented from attending their school or workplace because of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event in circumstances not covered by this policy may be eligible for leave with pay under this policy. Such an application will be considered on its merits having regard to the reasons the employee is unable to attend for duty.


Resources


Reviewed 11 March 2020